How to protect yourself from viruses: Tips and tricks

Morgan Moore37 MemberOP

11 messages
joined Feb 2010

#1 · Aug 13, 2005

I have a question for everyone on here—is anyone else dealing with ADSL connection issues or getting hit by those Blue Screen of Death errors citing a buffer overflow? If you are, I guess you might be dealing with a Trojan that somehow manages to slip right past standard antivirus software. I’ve been using the AVG software provided by Comcast along with McAfee Desktop Firewall, and McAfee keeps flagging this "sqlslammer:buffer overflow" thing. It seems to be blocking incoming traffic to my machine, though I suppose it might be stopping outgoing data too. I can't find any decent info online about what this specific Trojan actually does or how to scrub it from a system once it's already settled in. My PC hasn't crashed yet thanks to the McAfee firewall, but who knows how long that will last. I can see some tracers, so I have a vague idea of who might be trying to knock me offline. I don't think I'm infected yet, luckily, but I'm not sure how much longer I can stay ahead of them before they find a way in. Otherwise, everything is fine; I use Firefox and spend all day surfing on my high-speed fiber connection from AT&T, which works great. Cheers.

dustywalker25 Newcomer

4 messages
joined May 2004

#2 · Aug 14, 2005

You’ve hit the nail right on the head with that one; truly impressive work.👍

Morgan Moore37 MemberOP

11 messages
joined Feb 2010

#3 · Aug 14, 2005

I might be talking nonsense here, but it’s the truth—every time I have some crazy talk playing on the radio, that one Trojan seems to pop up, though nothing actually happens since McAfee just shuts it down immediately.

Rebecca Chase87 Active Member

50 messages
joined Oct 2004

#4 · Aug 14, 2005

format C

Samuel Lewis3 Newcomer

7 messages
joined Mar 2006

#5 · Aug 15, 2005

Rest, Vitamin C, staying hydrated...

format C

BTW: I just saw this computer repair shop actually called itself "Format C"! BUAHAHAHAHA! That is just too much! 😁 😁 😁 😁

Morgan Moore37 MemberOP

11 messages
joined Feb 2010

#6 · Aug 16, 2005

LOL, give me a break. You guys are honestly hilarious. Is "format C:" really the only thing you people can talk about? It’s kind of pathetic how many folks have wasted their time nuking their entire hard drive when the actual solution was sitting right in front of them this whole time, though I guess you wouldn't notice that if it hit you in the face. It’s like if a doctor decided that instead of just giving you some basic antibiotics for a common cold, they just threw you on the operating table and started cutting you open to achieve the exact same result. Maybe try using a little bit of brainpower once in a while instead of just blindly suggesting a total wipeout. That's only useful when the OS is completely dead, not for clearing out a virus. Have any of you even heard of viruses that hide in the FAT table? In those cases, you actually need to repartition—essentially destroying the FAT table and building a new one from scratch. Anyway, that's my two cents. You haven't exactly convinced me that anyone here is smarter than I am, you "Format C:" specialists.

goldenpanther7 Member

21 messages
joined Jul 2008

#7 · Aug 16, 2005

My PC is totally clean, everything's fine...

Look, just make up your mind—do you have a virus or not?

At least my computer isn't crashing because of McAfee firewall right now.

😁

Slammer: buffer overflow in Microsoft SQL Server. Blaster.

Maybe try actually reading what you type before posting if you want anything useful out of this. If you talk like garbage, don't be surprised when people give you garbage back...🙂

Michelle Alvarez8 Regular

299 messages
joined Nov 2015

#8 · Aug 16, 2005

Samuel Lewis3 said:BTW—I just spotted a computer repair shop called "Format C!" BWAHAHAHA! That is just too perfect! 😁 😁 😁 😁

Seriously though, send me the address ASAP! 👋

Roger Smith6 Member

30 messages
joined Sep 2003

#9 · Aug 16, 2005

Warm tea paired with some Vitamin C

Rebecca Chase87 Active Member

50 messages
joined Oct 2004

#10 · Aug 16, 2005

Morgan Moore37 said:Honestly, you all are quite amusing, though I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that your entire troubleshooting repertoire seems to revolve around wiping a hard drive... it’s truly incredible how many people have wasted time formatting their entire system when the actual solution was sitting right in front of them, just waiting for someone with a bit more insight to notice it. It reminds me of a doctor who, instead of simply prescribing medication for a common infection, decides to roll up his sleeves and perform surgery just to achieve the same result... it’s a remarkably inefficient way to handle things. If you would just apply a little more critical thinking instead of reflexively suggesting a complete wipe, you might realize that nuking a drive is a last resort for when a system is completely dead, not a primary tactic for removing a virus. For instance, there are certain types of malware that hide within the file allocation tables, where nothing short of repartitioning—essentially destroying and rebuilding the table—will actually clear the infection. That is all I have to say for now, but I must admit, you haven't exactly convinced me that your collective intelligence outweighs my own...

😢

John Palmer4 Active Member

50 messages
joined Oct 2008

#11 · Aug 16, 2005

Brian Edwards78 said:Send me that address ASAP! 👋

http://www.format-c.com/

Old news here 😁
But man, their service must be top-tier! Probably even better than us forum folks... 😬

John Palmer4 Active Member

50 messages
joined Oct 2008

#12 · Aug 16, 2005

Morgan Moore37 said:Have you guys heard about those viruses that actually hide inside the FAT table? It's wild! Apparently, the only real way to deal with them is through proper partitioning. Isn't that crazy?

Ever heard of punctuation? No? Then maybe stop trying to play grammar police with the English language and literature experts. Instead of constantly nitpicking everyone else, why not just go ask your teacher to clear things up for you first? Once you actually know what you're talking about, then come back and try to lecture people on this forum. Is that clear? I really hope so. And if it isn't, well, consider this your wake-up call. Don't get all high and mighty with people who are actually recommending sensible stuff like formatting in C; you're going to regret that attitude. Let's try this again: learn how to write a coherent post first, and then maybe someone might actually give you a meaningful response!

Rebecca Roberts2 Member

28 messages
joined Jan 2008

#13 · Aug 16, 2005

🙂

Morgan Moore37 said:...have you guys heard about those viruses that hide right in the FAT table? With those, simply repartitioning won't cut it; you basically have to wipe the FAT table entirely and start fresh...

I mean, honestly, who is even using the FAT file system these days?
😁

Kenneth Murphy5 Member

10 messages
joined Feb 2016

#14 · Aug 16, 2005

John Palmer4 said:Look, have you ever actually heard of punctuation? Seriously. Stop trying to act like some high-and-mighty grammar expert over every single post about American literature or linguistics. If you're confused, just go ask your third-grade teacher to explain things to you properly, then come back here and try to offer something intelligent. I really hope that makes sense! And please, stop being so condescending toward people who suggest a total system wipe—it’s just not worth the attitude. Basically, learn how to write a coherent sentence first, and maybe someone will actually give you a meaningful response.

Honestly, I’m right there with you! I totally agree. People who can't string a sentence together should probably head back to school before they show up on a forum like this.
P.S. He doesn't even need to perform a full format; he could just buy a brand new hard drive, toss the old one in the trash, or better yet, mail it to my house!

John Palmer4 Active Member

50 messages
joined Oct 2008

#15 · Aug 17, 2005

You’ve got two periods and a comma too many in that post. Watch your step next time, or you’re going to get roasted so hard you won't even know what hit you. You get me?

Michelle Alvarez8 Regular

299 messages
joined Nov 2015

#16 · Aug 17, 2005

John Palmer4 said:http://www.format-c.com/

Old news 😁
but man, they really know how to treat you—honestly better than most people on these forums! 😬

I saw someone on Reddit yesterday looking for software to convert NTFS to FAT32 without losing any data. For some reason, this company immediately popped into my head. Who knows why? 😁

Morgan Moore37 MemberOP

11 messages
joined Feb 2010

#17 · Aug 17, 2005

John Palmer4, I’ll write exactly how I want, and if my style bothers you so much, maybe you should just go find a different forum because we aren't sitting in some middle school classroom anymore. Is that clear? If not, feel free to call your parents or your high school teachers for help, since this constant bickering on a tech forum probably isn't going to solve anything for you. We're all here to actually get some help, not to dig holes for each other in whatever suburb you happen to live in just because you care more about perfect punctuation and grammar than actually helping people fix their computers so they stop crashing and breaking. If this hasn't made it obvious enough, let me know if you're more interested in getting things done or just obsessing over a period at the end of a sentence. If you're down to actually be useful, maybe we can plan a trip, but if you only care about terminal punctuation, then I guess you should just head back to school and play teacher.

goldenpanther7 Member

21 messages
joined Jul 2008

#18 · Aug 17, 2005

Morgan Moore37, don't go throwing stones if you can't take the heat. What you're doing here isn't okay, and honestly, you haven't even faced half of what you deserve yet. Nobody on this board ever walks away without getting an answer, but I have a feeling you’re going to get exactly what's coming to you... You’re out here insulting and belittling the very people you’re turning to for help. Maybe take a second to look in the mirror and deal with those deep-seated issues somewhere else. 🙂 ,that's being generous, if you ask me. You seem to think you're some kind of untouchable god who can just spout whatever nonsense comes to mind without a shred of logic. Get a grip on yourself, and if you actually need assistance, try finding it in places where people aren't looking to tear you down. You're really starting to grate on my nerves... 👎

John Palmer4 Active Member

50 messages
joined Oct 2008

#19 · Aug 17, 2005

Morgan Moore37, if you can't even wrap your head around the help being offered because of how it's written, then what's the point of you even trying to help anyone?

And hey, maybe watch your attitude toward others, or your time on this forum is going to be pretty short-lived.

Michelle Alvarez8 Regular

299 messages
joined Nov 2015

#20 · Aug 18, 2005

Morgan Moore37 said:Look, John Palmer4, I’ll write however I want—if you've got a problem with my style, maybe go find a new forum? We aren't in grade school anymore! Seriously! If you're that hung up on it, why don't you call your old teachers or your parents for help? This constant bickering on a tech forum isn't getting us anywhere. We're here to actually help each other out, not just tear each other down in some tiny town in the Midwest just because you care more about grammar than making sure these computers actually work without crashing. If this isn't enough for you, tell me: are you here for the actual help, or just to obsess over a period at the end of a sentence? If you want the real stuff, let's get to work—but if you just want to play professor, maybe head back to class.

Man, that's just wild, 👍

How to protect yourself from viruses: Tips and tricks

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